The new member of the team: surprises of the heart
by Princess Phoenix of Fire
Summary: After Lori quit the team a new person is send by governor to replace her. This new member will bring lot of surprises to everyone of the team. Meanwhile Steve deals with the emotional scars of the North Korea and struggles to let someone new enter in his life again. Steve/OC
1. Chapter 1

**N/A: After some reviews(thanks Jasmine) I've decided to work with a beta reader( thank you Haldoor). Now I'm republishing the first chapter in a re-edited version. Chapter 2 will be in line today too. I hope you enjoy! Sorry for take so long to publish but I promise try to update the fic every weekend from now.  
**

**Disclaimer: Hawaii five-o and every characters of the show don't belong to me. Izzie Kawena is an original character created by me.  
**

**THE NEW MEMBER OF THE TEAM: SURPRISES OF THE HEART**

**After Lori quits the team, a new person is sent by governor to replace her. The new member brings lot of surprises to everyone in the team. Meanwhile, Steve deals with the emotional scars of North Korea and struggles to let someone new enter his life again. Steve/OC**

**This story takes place right after Lori quit five-0.  
**

**N/A: In this story Danny still lives in Steve's place.  
**

CHAPTER 1

It was an ordinary day for the Five-0 task force. A senator's ex-wife had been found dead in a cheap motel room. The police had informed the senator, who called the governor, and naturally Five-0 had ended up in charge of the case.

Chin was trying to get access to the tapes from the security system at the motel, Kono was in HQ trying to download images from the public cameras from the streets near the crime scene, and Danny was interviewing the employees and clients of the motel, so Steve went to get a first look at the scene.

Steve entered the room, and the first thing he noticed was the enormous cockroach that ran from what he thought was the bathroom to under the bed. The woman was lying on the floor between the bed and the only window of the room, just opposite the door. He was on his knees trying to figure out what had killed Ms. Joanne Cartland - the former Ms. Morrison - when a woman's voice came from behind him.

- No signals of physical violence, no obvious injuries except for some petequial hemorrhage in her eyes, but no signs of mechanical suffocation in her airways. The coroner says liver temp indicates she's been dead for three to six hours. A glass with clear liquid was found on the bedside table; I collected prints from the glass, bagged it and sent a sample of the liquid to toxicology. By the way, I'm Izzie Kawena. I received orders from the governor to join your team.

- What? – Steve jumped from the floor faster than she could end the sentence and pointed his gun at the woman – Why should I believe you? Denning never told me about a new member. - the memories of how Jenna entered his team and betrayed him, putting all the team in danger to save his life, was still too vivid in his mind.

Right at that moment, Danny entered the room. - Steve you won't believe the phone call I just received from De…- the sentence died in Danny's mouth as he noticed the scene in the room – Put that damned thing down you Neanderthal; she's one of us! Denning just called. He was supposed to inform you at the meeting scheduled this morning, but since it was canceled because of this case, he sent her here and tried to call you. I don't think there's a signal inside this room, so he called me.

Steve put the gun down; embarrassed and concerned that his recent past experiences are interfering in his judgment. He finally looked straight at the woman. She didn't show any sign of fear even when he was pointing the gun straight at her. He had to admire her for it.

She wasn't tall - not much more then five feet - with long black hair in a ponytail, and wore a pair of jeans, a button down blue shirt with three quarter sleeves, and black medium high heels. She seemed to have some Asian in her; well, more than half the Hawaiian people have. Her mouth was small with full red lips, and she wore glasses that in another woman would hide the beauty. In this woman they suit perfectly; making him pay more attention to her deep brown eyes.

- I'm sorry. – He said, ashamed about he'd done.

- It's okay. In your shoes, I'd probably do the same. – She said, extending her right hand to him – Let's start over. I'm Izzie Kawena, former CSI from LA and now in your team.

They shook hands. – Steve McGarrett, Five-0. – He couldn't understand how this girl - yeah, because she doesn't seem more than twenty something, and looked so fragile - could be in his team now.

- By the way, I'm Danny Williams - Danny said, offering his right hand – Please don't worry about this animal – he pointed to Steve – it's harmless. Well, most of the time… I guess it's kind of a traditional entry to the team… - he had a grin in his face – It could be worse…I was shot on the same day I met him.

- Then I guess I was lucky. – said the woman, accepting Danny's. - I'm just guessing, but I think you aren't from the islands, are you?

- You're right. I came from Jersey two years ago; my ex moved to Hawaii after she remarried, and I followed her to be near my little girl.

- I don't know many men who are prepared to turn life upside down like that; crossing the country, even for a kid.

- If you knew my Monkey you'd understand. – replied Danny with a huge smile on his lips.

- Hey Danno, can't you ever shut up? We're on a case, remember? – said Steve, the rough words hiding his doubts about his own capability to stay in charge of Five – 0.

- Okay, okay. Just don't bite, okay? I'll check if Chin got hold of the security videos of this dump. I guess Izzie's already processed the scene and sent the evidence to Trace, so we all can head back to HQ and ask Kono if she found anything.

- I was dusting the bathroom when you guys arrived. I have couple more fingerprints to collect, and I need to look at the sink and the shower drain to see if the suspect left anything we can use to trace him. The governor told me team HQ is at the 'Iolani Palace'. I can meet you guys there in twenty if it's okay with you.

- Okay –answered Steve, already half-out the door just as the coroner's assistant arrived with a gurney to remove the body.

Steve was driving the Camaro while Danny launched into him over his behavior with Izzie.

- What in freaking hell happened to you, Steve? I've never seen you being so rough with someone who wasn't a suspect!

- Oh shut up, Danny! You can't just be happy with Denning sending other person to be his eyes and ears in Five-0?

- I have to admit it isn't funny having a babysitter, but c'mon! You need to give the girl a break. It's not her fault Denning wants to keep us on a short leash.

- Okay! Okay! You're right, I guess… I'll try to give her a chance…

- Good boy, Super-SEAL. Good boy… - said Danno, mocking him while he rubbed Steve's head like he was a puppy.

Izzie finished processing the bathroom and thought about the first meeting with her new boss as she did so. It wasn't good… She'd read his file and knew he was highly skilled for this job. After all, he was a SEAL; the first in his class, in fact.  
Cranky and too serious, just like any Navy man could be, she thought, but she also had to admit he was the most perfect man she had ever seen. The deep brown-greenish eyes, the thick hair, plus the amazing body, almost took her breath away… She shook her head, trying to forget the image of the handsome man and keep in mind he was her boss and worse, from what she had seen, he was less than happy about her joining his team.

After everything, she only found a lot of fingerprints in the bathroom - probably from other guests, since the motel was a real dump - and a pretty damaged memory stick.

Putting her equipment inside the trunk of her old '67 Chevy Impala, she headed for Five-0's HQ.

- Can I help you? – An Asian man asked as he approached Izzie.

Before Izzie could begin to answer, a voice she already recognized came from the corner of the room - She is the new mole Denning sent to keep an eye on us.

- You don't need to worry about it, Commander – answered Izzie, looking straight into the SEAL's eyes and already feeling her nails penetrating the skin of her palms (the old habit of clenching her fists when she was frustrated was one she had already lost hope of breaking) - When Governor Denning asked me to join your team I made myself clear. I told him I'd join Five-0 only to help with the work, and not to help him watch how you work. I'd heard enough about Five-0 to understand that even though your methods are unorthodox and a public relations nightmare, they work extremely well and keep the islands safer for the residents and visitors alike, and to me THAT is what matters in this kind of work.

Turning back to the Asian man, she extended her right hand. - I'm Izzie Kawena. The Governor sent me to join your team today, as the Commander already said. I was finishing processing the crime scene, so I became a little behind. You're Officer Chin Ho Kelly, I presume. I've heard you're a computer specialist good enough to compete with the legendary Baby Girl**1**.

Chin Ho accepted the hand, and flushed a little when she compared him to one of the most respected hackers in the world, known for collaborating with many agencies and police departments to break up human trafficking and pedophilia rings.

- You like tech too Ms Kawena?

- Just Izzie, okay? Ms Kawena makes me feel like my nana – she answered with a little smile – The fact is, my "little" brother is in MIT doing his degree in computer science, and when I told him I was join Five-0 he was so excited about the fact that I'd get to meet you, one of the best in the tech field.

- Wow! I'm flattered, but the truth is I'm just an over-curious guy who loves computers and tech stuff.

- You're being modest…Oh! I almost forgot! When I looked in the trash can in the motel room I found this memory stick – Izzie said, taking a small evidence bag from her jeans' pocket – Someone smashed it pretty bad, but maybe you could extract something we could use in the case.

- Well, I'll see what I can do – said Chin Ho, taking the little bag. – Hey Kono, come here!

Another woman came from an office with a pile of paper work in her hands. - Where's the fire, cuz'?

- This is our newest team member. Denning sent her. Izzie Kawena, another team member, and my cousin, Officer Kono Kalakaua.

- Hey! Nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you, too

They shook hands as they spoke.

- Team meeting. – Said Steve, exiting his office and walking toward the computer table –Let's see what we've got so far.

The team gathered around the touch-table as Kono started to present the case.

- The vic is Ms. Joanne Cartland, ex-wife of the Alabama senator Jeff Morrison. Forty-eight years old, former model, married to the senator at age of thirty, one son - Jeff Junior, seventeen, and a freshman at Yale - she divorced recently. As far as we know, she has no properties or friends in the islands. The divorce was supposedly friendly; no scandals or fighting in court over money or property. She wasn't involved in her ex-husbands career, and didn't have any known enemies.

- I already downloaded the videos from the public cameras near the crime scene, but there isn't anything suspicious or useful so far.

Izzie started to talk next - The coroner hasn't found an obvious COD; she had some petequial hemorrhage in her eyes but it was the only sign of anything unusual on the body. She was found by a maid at eight o'clock this morning, and by the liver temperature the death happened three to six hours before, which puts our TOD in the early morning somewhere between two am and five am. I found a strange liquid in a glass and sent it to Tox but don't know if they have the results of the analysis yet. I collected literally hundreds of prints - that room has probably never had been cleaned properly - and I've sent them to HPD to check if we have any hits so we can start to refine a list of probable suspects.

- I'm analyzing the tapes from the motel, but with the high level turnabout of guests at the place, turns out ninety-nine percent of people in the images are hits in our system. Izzie found a pretty damaged memory stick in the room, so I'll try to recover some data from it – Chin added.

- I just received her credit card statements. She bought a ticket to Honolulu two months ago, and has been renting a house in Kailua. – said Danny.

- Well guys, we pretty much have no clue how the vic ended up in that motel, or what or who killed her. – Steve said – Kono, keep searching for a lead in the videos, and Chin, try to get whatever you can from that memory stick ASAP. Danny and I will go to Kailua to check the vic's place. Izzie, go talk to Max Bergman in the morgue. Maybe he's found something in the body or figured out the COD by now. He can give you the Tox report too, if it's ready. Meet you all back here at six.

- Okay, boss. – Kono said, already heading back to her screens.

- I'll be in HPD tech department, if you guys need me. – said Chin, taking his motorcycle keys.

- Steve, today's my day to pick Grace up from school. Just give me a sec to call Rachel, and we can leave, okay?

Danny will never ask to don't go with Steve to pick up Grace, but anyone can see how he looks down with the news. This weekend he wouldn't have Grace and pick her up was the only chance he had to see her this week.

Steve didn't look happy at the idea of passing hours alone with their "mole" either, but told Danny – You go to Max's office and Izzie comes with me. You can pick Grace up on the way back from the morgue, and eat something before taking her back to Rachel's.

- I owe you, big man!

- Just don't try making frittatas in my kitchen again, okay? And say hello to Grace for me. – Steve's face completely softened talking about the little girl he loved as was his own

- Deal!

- Izzie…

- Yes Commander. - Izzie looked him straight in the eyes, a touch of defiance in her own.

- Just Steve; we don't use ranks here. And how do you know I'm a commander anyway? I didn't tell you back at the crime scene. –

Izzie smiled to herself as Danny kicked Steve in the leg and whispered – Remember what I told you in the car…

- The governor sent me files for all the team members when he told me I was joining you. He probably intended to give you mine in this morning's meeting too.

- Someone at the governor's office brought Izzie's file; it's on your desk. – said Kono taking her eyes off the screen for a moment.

- Thank you, Kono. – Steve told her. - Well, as I was saying before, I don't think we need to go in two cars to the vic's place. Since the roads to Kailua will be in pretty bad shape after last night's rain, we can go in my pickup.

- Okay. Can you show me where I can get some supplies for my evidence kit? I need to replenish it before we leave.

- There's a cabinet with all you need near the weapons' room. I'll wait in the truck, it's the black one just in front of the building.

- I guess I saw it when I came in. That room, right? – Izzie asked, walking in the direction he'd pointed.

**1. That's a little tribute to another character I love: Penelope Garcia, aka 'Baby Girl', from Criminal Minds **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Hawaii five-o and every characters of the show don't belong to me. Izzie Kawena is an original character created by me.  
**

**THE NEW MEMBER OF THE TEAM: SURPRISES OF THE HEART - CHAPTER 2  
**

**After Lori quits the team, a new person is sent by governor to replace her. The new member brings lot of surprises to everyone in the team. Meanwhile, Steve deals with the emotional scars of North Korea and struggles to let someone new enter his life again. Steve/OC**

**This story takes place right after Lori quit five-0.  
**

**N/A: In this story Danny still lives in Steve's place.**

CHAPTER 2

Steve was driving, and there was a really uncomfortable silence in the car. Even the SEAL denying until death, the true was he'd gotten used to his partner's unceasing talk. He was just thinking about starting a conversation when a loud noise took him out of his thoughts.

- What the hell was that?

- Sorry – Izzie said, blushing – It's my stomach. Between meeting the governor and the case, I haven't eaten since breakfast at five am.

Steve's stomach also chose that moment to protest with a loud noise.

- I guess I'm not the only one who hasn't eaten in a while? – Izzie had a small grin.

- Sort of... - Remembering Danny's words and feeling the empty hole in his stomach, Steve said - I guess we can stop and grab something to eat before we head to Kailua.

- I would kill for some moko loco right now...

- Already in love with the island treats?

- Already?

- You're from LA, right?

- In fact, I'm not a haole, if that's you mean. I was born and raised in the islands. I left when I was seventeen to go to LA; I wrote a paper in high-school and won a scholarship to UCLA.

- How did you end up in the police force?

- Well, I started in the biology department at UCLA. To pay bills I had a part-time job in the LAPD as a "handy-girl". Printing labs results, archiving old files; stuff like that. There was a senior CSI who liked me and took me under his wing, teaching me things about forensics and I got caught up in it. I finished my degree with a paper about soil analysis in murder investigations, and started in the academy the day after my graduation.

- Wait... How old are you, then?

- Twenty-seven.

By this time, Steve had stopped the car near Kamekona's shrimp truck. He introduced Izzie to the big man, and took some shrimp sticks to go.

The road was in really bad shape, as Steve had thought it would be, but it didn't take too long to find the vic's house.

Ms Cartland's place was a total mess. Someone had turned the entire house upside down, probably trying to find something. With the windows fully open and the inside all wet, Steve concluded that the vic had left the place at least twenty-four hours before, as the previous night was the first rain they'd had in weeks. Izzie called HPD to isolate the place, and she started to track leads as Steve looked at the outside of the place.

Opening the bedside table drawer, she found an envelope; inside was a photo of a teenager of no more than sixteen with big blue eyes, pale skin and long blond hair. She looked like some of the missing persons' posters Izzie had seen so many times.

- Have you found something? – Steve had entered the bedroom after checking the garden.

- A photo in the bedside table drawer. She had nieces or goddaughters?

- Nothing was mentioned in her file.

Izzie showed the picture to Steve - Doesn't this look like a missing person's poster?

- Maybe... Scan the picture and send it to Kono; she can verify if this girl is in the missing persons' system.

- On it. And you, Com... Steve? Did you find anything outside?

- There are two sets of tire prints in the garden. I took pictures and sent them to Chin. He's trying to work out what type of car they belong to. I guess HPD can handle it from here.

Everybody had arrived in HQ, so they started to share the news.

- The girl in the picture Izzie found in the vic's house – started Kono - is in the Interpol missing persons' database; she was Ukrainian; her name was Sophia Kovalenko; fifteen years old when she disappeared two years ago. An agent I called told me she was probably caught up in some mob human trafficking ring; probably for prostitution.

- Max says the COD was poisoning; the poison was made from the extract of a root common in South America and some parts of Africa called cassava and… – said Danny.

- Wait – Steve interrupted Danny – Cassava extract? I've eaten that damned root for something like a month! How was that possible?

- Max said that there are many species of cassava - some dangerous, others harmless - and even the poison kinds can have the toxic compounds extracted and be used as food. By the way …How did you end up eating a South American slash African root for a month?

- I can't tell you that; it's…

- Classified – answered the three oldest members of the team.

- You'll get used to this soon – Kono said to Izzie with a little smile – Sometimes I have my doubts if it's really classified or if the boss just uses this line when he doesn't want to answer….

- As I was saying – Danny went on - she ingested the poison orally; it was in the glass found at the crime scene. The thing has no color or taste and acts like cyanide.

- I only recovered two photos from the memory stick. They're both of the same woman – Chin showed a picture using the touch-table; it was a tall skinny European woman with black hair in a bob. She wore what looked like real jewelry, and expensive clothes – Seems like she was under surveillance. Kono is already running her image in AFIS and the Interpol database, but nothing yet.

- About the tire prints: one belongs to a nineteen-ninety-seven SUV and the other to a two thousand-ten sedan. Kono found out the vic had rented a two thousand-ten Ford Fusion right after arriving in the islands. She contacted the rental service, but they said the car was never returned and the GPS signal isn't working. One set of prints should belong to the vic's rented car and the other to the people who invaded the house. I've already sent an alert to HPD about the vic's car, but haven't heard anything yet.

- Prostitution rings, under surveillance, a missing kid, a murder… How does a senator's ex-wife end up involved in all of this? - Steve asked – Besides the divorce, has anything unusual happened in her life? Check her last year in Alabama, Kono.

- Working on it right now, boss – Kono opened a bunch of windows on the touch-table – Looks like she participated in a lot of events - mostly charities - with and without the senator. She had an assistant who had been working with her since she was a model; in fact, she was the godmother of the vic's son. The assistant's name was Eleanor Fisher, and she died in a car crash six months ago, just before the divorce process started.

- What do we know about Eleanor?

- Single, fifty years old when she died, born and raised in Blue Lake, CA - the hometown of the vic too. Joanne and Eleanor were childhood neighbors, and studied at the same schools. When Joanne started to become successful as a model, Eleanor became her loyal assistant and PR person. She moved to Alabama with Joanne when she married the senator. The accident report says she lost control of her car leaving a charity event. Joanne's testimony said Eleanor arrived at the event with her, but left early with a headache.

- Maybe it wasn't an accident?

- Maybe… I'll call the local PD and ask for a copy of the accident report and the coroner's report too… Wait, there is something here… A safety deposit box in Eleanor's name in the West Alabama Bank was opened right after her death, for her sister. The problem is we know she was an only child.

- Can you get the security images from the bank?

- Well, the subpoena for those images could take weeks, maybe months, since the bank is out of our jurisdiction, boss…

- Chin? – Steve turned to him without blinking.

- Let me try to hack their system.

A few minutes later, the images showed up on the screen, leaving no doubt about Eleanor's "sister's" identity. Joanne had used a wig and glasses, but the computer compared her physical and facial markers and they matched ninety-nine percent.

- Could whatever was in that safe have started all this mess? – Danny asked.

- It's possible. She started divorce proceedings the day after she was in the bank. - said Kono

- Well, I guess it's time to talk with the senator. Where he is right now? - said Steve

- DC. He' negotiating the approval of some project – answered Kono.

- Well, a videoconference will have to be enough. – said Steve – Kono, call the senator's assistant and schedule one ASAP. Use all the pressure you want; threaten them with the press if you have to.

- Okay, boss.

- While she does that, we need to check the vic's personal belongings. I asked HPD to bag everything and leave it in the evidence room so we can have a look. Maybe with the new info we can find something we missed before.

Izzie followed the others to the evidence room in the back of the palace, and they started to look through the items collected from the vic's place.

A couple of hours later, nothing useful had been found and everybody was getting cranky after long hours of work and the lack of sleep (the team had finished a case the day before, and as usual, the paperwork took forever to finish; in fact, Danny had crashed on the couch of his office).

Izzie wasn't good either; she'd been in a meeting with Denning until late the previous night, and had only just arrived from LA two days ago, so her body hadn't settled into the Hawaiian time-zone yet. She'd also had to wake up early that morning for the meeting scheduled by the governor to introduce her to Steve.

Izzie opened small box made of wood; it was full of old bills, advertising material and some coins. She was starting to put the chest in the "useless" pile when she noticed it was too heavy for something so empty. She took a better look at the velvet lining inside and shook the box. It was evident there was something still inside it. She took a knife and cut the velvet, finding an envelope and a book inside.

- Hey guys, I think I found something – she called to the team.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for take so long to update ! Finally here is chapter 3,I hope everybody enjoy! REVIEW PLEAAAAAAAAAAASE! **

**Disclaimer: Hawaii Five - 0 and its characters do not belong to me.**

CHAPTER 3

Izzie opened the envelope and found a hand-written letter. She started to read to the team:

_Dear Joann_

_If you are reading this it's because I'm no longer with you. You know, for all these years you weren't just my boss, but also my best friend; the person who came back to that hell of place where we were born and gave me a job and the chance to see so many things, so many places, and I never have thanked you enough for it._

_You and your kid are the most important people in world to me, and that's why I tried to keep you out of this. I hope you can forgive me. _

_ The key is for a safety deposit box in the downtown agency of the West Alabama Bank, inside you will find the answers you need._

_God bless you. _

_All my love_

_Eleanor_

After putting the letter inside the envelope again, Izzie opened the book. It was a journal.

- If you don't mind, can I use one of the offices to analyze this journal? I'll dust it for finger prints and read it. – Izzie asked Steve

It looks like hundreds of pages. It'll take at least until tomorrow as long as you go without sleeping, to read it all – said Chin – maybe we should take copies and divide the pages between all of us.

I'll finish it in a couple of hours. I can read over hundred words per minute.

Okay then. You can use my office; Danny's will be a mess. – said Steve

Hey, it's not my fault I'm not a neat freak, okay? Most people can live with a few papers on the desk and one or two spots of dust – Danny replied indignantly.

One or two? Danny, I almost can write on your furniture in the dust, and this morning my bathroom looked like a hurricane had passed through it.

Izzie was already halfway to Steve's office and both men were still arguing about whether Steve was a neat freak or not.

One and a half hours later, Izzie had finally finished reading the journal. Eleanor's hand-writing was bigger than average so it took less time than Izzie had thought it would to read it. She'd dusted the cover of the journal too and given the fingerprints she found to Kono to analyze, but only Eleanor and Joann had left fingerprints.

The journal had clarified much about the mess that had finished in the death of both women, but had left many questions the team still needed answers for.

Izzie stretched her back, standing up from the office couch. She always preferred to read lying down; probably a heritage from the bedtime stories her parents and grandparents used to read to her when she was little.

The team had left to grab some food a few minutes before; it was after 10 pm and everybody was ready for some fresh air. They had invited her, but she decided to stay and finish reading. The rest of the team left with the promise of bringing Chinese food back to her, so after they returned she could t them what she'd found in the journal.

It was late, so they got a table in a corner without any other occupied tables around. It was good; they all knew they couldn't risk leaking information about the case.

Danny, pass me the chopsticks please – said Kono right after the waiter brought her a beautiful plate full of fried rice with sweet and sour pork

Here, Kono.

Danny, Chin and Steve received their meals immediately after and also started to eat.

Hey boss, you're not hungry or you're worried you'll gain some weight? – Kono mocked; all the team knew how strict Steve was about healthy food. In fact, he ordered the menu dish with the most vegetables, and dumplings when everyone else had ordered spring rolls. Everybody was eating quickly, but he was literally playing with the food on his plate.

I guess it was the shrimp's fault. – said Steve, sounding distracted

Shrimps? You're eating imaginary shrimps now? Is that some SEAL strategy to survive starvation? – Danny said

No, I'm not eating imaginary shrimps. – Steve answered, rolling his eyes - Before I went to the vic's place, I stopped at Kamekona's and bought some shrimp sticks to go.

Stop the machines! Lieutenant Commander Steve James McGarrett ate in the car! – Danny yelled

What's the big deal? We didn't have time to eat properly earlier, and driving to Kailua hearing mine and Izzie's stomachs fighting to see who made more noise was out of the question. – Steve answered

A-ha! You like the girl after all, then? 'Cause if I remember correctly, you've never let me eat inside your truck, no matter how much noise my stomach made. – said Danny

I was starving too, and because I gave YOU time to pick up Grace, I had time to buy the shrimp, go to Kailua, and get back on time.

Ouch! That's low, man! –said Danny

No. It's just the truth. – said Steve, eating some sautéed broccoli.

But you didn't answer the question, Steve – it was Chin's turn to talk. He gave a small grin – You like Izzie?

Yeah, boss. You like her? – said Kono, grabbing a dumpling from Steve's plate.

You too, Kono? – Steve sighed before continuing - She's a co-worker; I've known her for less than twenty-four hours. How I can decide if I like or dislike someone that quickly? - Steve evaded.

That's funny…This morning you didn't seem to have any trouble about hating her at first sight. – said Danny.

Who's the one who said "give her a break. It's not her fault that Denning wants to keep us on a short leash."? – said Steve

Steve and Izzie sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage … - Kono started, half laughing , half singing

God! Are we in kindergarten? – Steve shook his head

Okay. Okay, kids! – Chin intervened – It's late, we're all tired and we still have work to do, so let's eat and keep our energy for the job, okay?

The rest of the meal passed in relative silence, only broken when Danny and Kono fought over the last spring roll.


	4. Chapter 4

**N/A:Sorry really sorry people!I've republished chapter 1 by mistake ( I was trying to post chapter 4). Well, finally chapter 4 is on line, hope everybody enjoy!****  
Thanks to everyone who sent me reviews. I am very happy to know that so many people are enjoying this story. Please continue writing, suggestions and opinions are always welcome.  
**

**Disclaimer: Hawaii five-o and every characters of the show don't belong to me. Izzie Kawena is an original character created by me.**

CHAPTER 4

Steve drank his green tea, waiting for Kono to bring Izzie's meal to go.

Danny gave Chin a ride to the hospital so he could see his wife; she was on a 24 hour shift and they hadn't seen each other since breakfast at 6 am that morning.

Steve's mind was far from the Szechuan Restaurant; specifically, he was thinking about a young former LA CSI. The girl had guts, he had to admit; hadn't demonstrated fear even when he'd pointed his gun straight at her face, and as far as he could see, she was really good at her job. Her actions were responsible for the biggest clues in this case up till now.

But what bothered him wasn't the fact that despite Denning having sent her she was good at her job; what bothered him was the fact that he knew exactly how she dressed, knew she wasn't skinny like his other female co-workers, knew she was curvy and her chest took up all the space of her blue-buttoned shirt, she had small feet and hands, and long silky black hair…

He shook his head, trying to not think of her that way. He'd been alone since Valentine's. He'd taken that training mission on the USS Enterprise just to stay with Cath, however, the time together just served to make them both understand it was better they went back to being just friends again. He'd decided to stay in the islands, "settle down", maybe marry and have kids, and Cath just couldn't see a future away from the sea and the kind of adventure the Navy could bring her. Yeah…He'd been alone for far too long…

Anyway, he couldn't have that kind of relationship with a co-worker. Besides, a little voice in his head kept reminding him how badly things ended whenever he let someone new enter his life. He couldn't afford to put his loved ones in danger again because of his bad judgment.

By this time Kono had arrived back at the table with a paper bag in her hands.

- Let's go, boss?

- Okay – answered Steve, already standing up from his chair.

* * *

Izzie was finishing cleaning the fingerprint dust from Steve's desk. It was as clear as water that he didn't like any kind of mess in his things.

She sat at Steve's chair to ensure she hadn't forgotten to clean any spots off the table, and her eyes went to a photo frame on his desk. It showed Steve, Danny and a kid, probably Danny's daughter she thought, at the beach. All three looked happy and relaxed.

Steve was all wet, the water highlighting his strong body and the tattoo-covered arms. She really should forget such details of her boss… But God! Even a blind woman or man could see how perfectly built the man was.

The comments about Danny using Steve's kitchen and bathroom popped into her head just as she looked the picture again. She almost fell from the chair. Of course! They were partners!

She remembered the first meeting she'd had with the governor; he referred to Danny as Steve's partner, and she thought it was only as in cop partners, but now she could see they were together, and even shared a house from what she'd heard. Great! She had gone all day thinking about a man who was already in a relationship, and with another man!

She still was kicking herself mentally about the attraction she'd felt for Steve when the team arrived back.

* * *

Izzie had already finished her meal and the team meeting was starting.

- I think everybody knows the fingerprints from the journal were a dead end; only Eleanor and Joann left fingerprints on it. But the journal has given me some interesting information.

- In fact, Eleanor was investigating someone who was blackmailing the senator. About a year ago, Eleanor and Joann were with a charity of an non-governmental association who is fighting to end the modern slavery of prostitution rings and coyotes who use illegal people as cheap man-power, etcetera, when she recognized a girl from a missing persons' poster.

- Sophia Kovalenko. – said Steve.

- Yep! She'd seen her at an event the senator organized to raise funds for his campaign. She tried to find the girl, asking the senator's assistant, but she told Eleanor the girl was from the catering company. Eleanor knew many different people from when she worked in the fashion industry with Joann, and had really good investigative skills, I have to say. Turns out she discovered the catering company was a disguise for an operation of human trafficking.

- Why she didn't go to the authorities? – Danny asked, exasperated.

- She discovered the senator was involved and she didn't want to ruin Joann's life. She talked with Senator Morrison and demanded he stopped the operation immediately or she'd turn him in to the authorities, but he said he had been blackmailed and if he betrayed the people behind the operation, his career would be destroyed.

- Did she mention if she knew what the mobsters were using to blackmail the senator with? – Chin asked.

- No. She just mentioned it involved Joann and Jeff Jr's lives too. In the last few pages she wrote that she was trying to find proof about the human trafficking ring to give to the authorities, and to make an agreement with the feds: they could have the info about the mobsters if they forgot the senator's name was involved. She thought someone was tailing her, so she decided to put the journal in the safe box in case something happened. The letter informing Joann about the safe was delivered by her lawyer.

- Well we know Joann found the journal in the safe. But what's the connection to the islands? – Kono asked – How did she end up in that motel room?

- How she ended up in that motel room, I don't know. But I guess Joann was trying to finish Eleanor's work. The last lead Eleanor had, from what I read in the journal, was that the mobsters were using an import and export company from Oahu - Senator Morrison is one of the owners - to bring girls illegally to the USA. She didn't have many names of the criminals, but she wrote that the leader was called Black Widow. I took the liberty of calling an old friend to try obtaining some info about the woman, but I haven't had an answer yet. Interpol has a file about her, but they know almost nothing; they even don't know her real name or nationality. I've already sent copies to your tablets, but it's pretty useless.

- Now we have something to start the investigation… - started Steve - Well the main thing now is to talk with Senator Morrison and try to get some answers. Did you schedule the video conference, Kono? – asked Steve.

- Yes. It's scheduled at 8 am tomorrow morning DC time, 2 am island time… Or two hours from now. Sorry boss for the bad time choice, but it was the only time I could manage with the senator's assistant, and the time zone difference between Hawaii and DC didn't help either. – answered Kono.

- It's okay, Kono – said Steve – I'll stay at HQ to do the video conference, and you guys go home and get some sleep. We'll meet here at 8 am to restart the work.

- Hey super-SEAL, with all the paperwork from the last case, you've barely slept three hours since yesterday. You can't drive home like that. – said Danny, sounding worried.

- I'll sleep on the couch until the video conference – said Steve.

- In case you forgot, I'm seven inches shorter than you and still barely fit on that damned couch! – yelled Danny.

- I swear to you, I've slept less and in worse places, Danno. – answered Steve.

-You're not a freaking super-hero! You need to rest and you can't drive home in your state! – yelled Danny again.

- Oh, and what do you suggest? You haven't slept any more than me and… - Steve began.

- I'll stay with him! – The words came out before Izzie could stop herself. – I've rested more than you guys in the last few days, so I can drive Steve home after the video conference. Besides, I passed the info I got from the journal to all of you, but the details I've read about could maybe help in the interview with the senator.

- You're sure? – said Danno – I can stay…

- As Steve said, you're tired too, so go get some rest. I promise I'll bring him home safe. I just need the address.

- The place is in Aina Haina. – Danny wrote the address down – Here. Do you have GPS in that antique you call a car?

- My tablet has, Danny. And don't make fun of my car, okay! – said Izzie, suddenly sounding like a teenager – And I know the place; in fact, it's near mine.

- Okay, then. Leave the truck in front of the building and I'll give you a ride tomorrow morning, okay Steve? – said Danny.

- And I have a choice? – answered Steve.

- No – answered Danno, Kono and Chin together.

- Okay. Okay… Good night. Now, all of you, out! – said Steve.

- Good night, boss – said Kono as they left.

- Until 8 am, then – Chin said before putting on his helmet.

- Call me if you need me, and don't turn off the TV when you arrive. I WILL use the earphones, I swear. – said Danny, getting the Camaro keys

Everybody had gone and finally the Palace was quiet.

- I hate to say it, but Danno is right about that couch; but I'll try to get some rest, anyway. You can use Danno's office couch if you like. – said Steve, starting to walk into his office.

- Thanks, but I'll start the paperwork from the crime scene. – answered Izzie.

- Okay. – Steve answered from inside the office. He put his head out of the door frame and said – By the way, good job today, Kawena.

- Thanks Steve. – Izzie answered, half inside Danny's office.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Hawaii five-0 characters belongs to CBS.**

**N/A: Sorry people for the long time without update the story. I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter. Chapter 6 is already with my wonderful beta so it'll be online soon!Reviews are always welcome!  
**

CHAPTER 5

He was in North Korea again, cuffed, his body suspended from the ceiling. Wo Fat has beaten him pretty badly: his body is covered by scratches and bruises; a couple of burn marks made by a cattle prod are there too.

The difference now is when he looks ahead it isn't Jenna who is in that hell with him, but his team; his ohana… Danny, his already injured knee beaten with a baseball bat, his body covered by bruises and scratches; Chin and Kono beaten and receiving electric shocks; Lori too…

He can't stand to see that; all his wounds don't hurt even a fraction compared to seeing all that. He tries to do something… He can't move… He can only see the people he loves being tortured and hear their screams and moans…

- Stop! Stop! They have nothing to do with all this! I'm the one looking for Shelburne! – he screams – I'll kill you, I swear…Even if I have to go to hell to find you!

* * *

Steve suddenly woke up, noticing his hands were on the woman's neck, halfway choking her.

- Hey… Hey… Easy, sailor… It was only a nightmare – a soft and surprisingly calm voice called him to reality - A pretty bad one, I presume… But thankfully only a dream… - Izzie proceeded to take his big hands from around her neck.

Great! In the space of less than twenty-four hours he'd pointed his gun and now tried to choke his team new member. He hated to let her see him that way; weak and vulnerable.

The nightmares had started just after he was rescued in North Korea, but he never talked about it with anyone. In fact he's even hidden it from Danny. Thankfully Danny kept the TV on all night so the few times Danny had talked at breakfast about how he'd thought he'd heard Steve screaming at night, Steve had managed to make him believe it was some character from a TV show.

- Uh…Sorry… - He scratched his head. - I guess my mom was right about eating spiced food at night making me have nightmares – he said, trying to smile.

- Mine says the same… – Izzie felt that the reason for the nightmare wasn't as simple as Steve was trying to make her believe, but decided to respect his wish of not talking about it any more.

- How did you end up here, by the way?

- I was going to make some coffee when I heard you – she smiled – I suppose you could use some coffee too. It's almost two am and you look like hell! – she said as she straightened his hair with her hands.

When her fingers touched him, Steve felt like an electric charge had run through him; her perfume reminding him of cherry blossoms and the sea; a sense of peace and calm that he had not felt for a long time filling his soul.

* * *

Izzie felt the same flow of energy when she touched Steve. His hair was thick but soft; some silver was already mixed in here and there with the deep brown, she noticed. Her hand went down to his jaw; he had probably shaved in the early morning; now a shadow was covering his face. The feeling of the already grown beard against her palm caused a shiver down her spine.

His scent was an exotic mix of sea, sweat and sandalwood. All man, all danger, Steve was like a stormy ocean; full of power and beauty, hypnotically charming but capable of destroying her in less then a second.

Suddenly Steve looked down, straight into her eyes, the green in his becoming darker and the brown had almost disappeared. His hands went into her hair, undoing the pony tail and bringing her near to him.

Izzie's mind screamed to get out of the room, but she couldn't move. Her eyes were completely caught in his. He moved down, his lips closer to hers, and before she realized it she was moving closer to him too and they were less than an inch away from a kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the loooooooooooooong absence but finally I'm back! Hope you enjoy the new chapter. the story will be update much sooner then before I've promise.**

**Reviews are always welcome! **

**Disclaimer: Hawaii five-o and every characters of the show don't belong to me. Izzie Kawena is an original character created by me.**

CHAPTER 6

Steve's cel phone ringing on the table take both back to reality. They suddenly apart the embrace, like the touch of each other can burn the skin. He answered the phone immediately and she get out of the office faster as her still shaking legs could move.

- Grace! What happened? Danno is all right? Something wrong with you? Your mom? Charlie? Stan?

- It's all okay Uncle Steve. I only had a nightmare …. Sorry for calling Uncle Steve. – her voice like she was trying to not cry

- You don't need to be sorry for anything. You know you can call me anytime. I'm just surprised, only that. Why you didn't talk with your mommy or called Danno?

- Mom is really tired because of Charlie and Danno already call me to say goodnight. My bad dream was about you Uncle Steve so I called you to be sure you're safe…Daddy had said you will be in the office until very late to do a video con..conf…

- Conference babe. But you said you had a bad dream with me? Do you like to talk about the bad dream?

- I think it's better not…It's about a thing Daddy said not to talk with you…

- Not talk with me? Why?

- He said he don't like me make you remember bad things and became sad…

- Oh sweetie you can talk about anything I promise you'll not make me sad.

- Really?

- Yeah I swear for my life Grace Face.

- Ok. It's about that bad man who caught you once and took you to a very far place and daddy and uncle Chin, Uncle Jack and aunt Kono and aunt Lorri had to rescue you. I dreamed he had catch you again and I try to say to daddy what happened but my voice don't came out no matter how I try and the bad man take you away for ever Uncle Steve. – Grace snobs trying to stop the crying

- Babe… - Steve's heart was broken for make the loved child cry – Shhhh. Its okay babe, nothing bad will happen to me. You know your daddy always take my back.

She snobs – Yeah… He always say you tests his heart in a daily bases. – she laughed a little

- See babe… And with Uncles Jack, Chin, Max and Kamekona and Aunt Kono I'm safer then Fort Knox. Back to sleep now ok sweetie, tomorrow is school day and I don't want to hear you fall in sleep during class cause of me young lady.

- Okay Uncle Steve. But please be careful, I know you're the Super SEAL and is your job catch the bad guys but you're my favorite Uncle too okay?

- Thank you Grace. Now go back to sleep okay? And if you need me you can call no matter when okay?

- Okay Uncle Steve – she yawned – Good night

- Good night and sweet dreams Grace …

Steve put the phone down. A torn of emotions running in his heart.

He still could feel the delicate hands of Izzie in his face, all his body claming for her touch again, for that kiss he didn't had.

For other side that call from Grace remembered him he wasn't alone anymore. He has an_ ohana_ now and everything he do have direct repercussions in their lives too. He couldn't afford take any kind of risks again. That kind of involvement could cost the entire team a lot. The Lorri episode just made cleaner that kind of relationship couldn't be well accepted for the governor too and could cost even the Hawaii five-0 existence.

Steve made a decision, no matter what costs something like that can't happen again. He looked the clock on the table, almost two am, time to go to the video conference room.

* * *

Izzie get straight to the bathroom and washed her face. When she looked to the mirror she couldn't recognize herself. Her face was blushed, her hair a mess, the shirt completely shrugged. She bit her lips frustrated for the kiss she don't have, her body still aching where Steve touched her…

What hell is happening to her? In less then twenty-four hours she almost kissed her new boss who by all appearances had a partner and a kid and don't appreciate at all her entrance in his team. She couldn't let herself to be a toy for that man. Besides, Danny was a good guy and Izzie preferred kill herself before do something to hurt the kind cop.

She was M-A-D! With herself, for her feelings, and above all with Steve. After all HE was the one trying to betray a wonderful partner and using HER, the _new girl_.

Well. If her boss can't behave she can. No matter what she had to do, something like that should never happen again. She looked her watch, quarter before two am, she need to straight herself and prepare the video conference.


End file.
